A new study from China’s Wuyishan Municipal Hospital reconfirms the benefits of regular tea drinking on preventing hardening of the arteries. Arterial stiffening can reduce lifespan and increase risk of cardiovascular diseases like heart failure and stroke.
The study, “A Cross-sectional Study of the Relationship between Habitual Tea Consumption and Arterial Stiffness,” was led by cardiologist Qing-fei Lin and published in the Journal of the American College of Nutrition.
More than 6,500 men and women ages 40-75 in Fujian province participated in the study. They were divided into four groups – those who consumed tea regularly for 10 or more years, 6-10 years, 1-5 years and those who did not drink tea regularly. “Regular consumption” was defined as drinking one or more cups a day for at least 12 months.
Tea drinking was measured by self-reported survey. Brachial-ankle pulse wave velocity (ba-PWV) was used to measure arterial stiffness in the aorta and in the peripheral artery of the heart. The group consuming tea habitually for 10+ years had the least amount of thickening of artery walls and the most elastic arteries, followed by the group that drank tea regularly for 6+ years. Those that drank 10 or more grams of tea daily had the best benefit.
The effect of the tea may be related to a chemical reaction in the endothelial cells of the artery that is triggered by catechins. Catechins may release nitrous oxide, making the arteries more flexible.
While the study had its limitations, such as only including people from a small geographic region and relying on self-reporting for consumption, the results are in line with previous studies on tea and heart health.
SOURCE: Science Alert, Taylor & Francis Online
This certainly motivates me to drink more tea!
Did the study state if the type of tea (green, black, etc) effected the results or if all types of tea provided the same benefit?
Since the study was done in Wuyishan probably most tea drinkers would drink Wuyi oolong teas or even green/red(black) teas which are also available locally.